Ha Long Cruise

Ha Long Cruise.
Choosing a tour company can be tricky, and it seems that for every good review you read about company x y or z, there's also a negative. To try to help, here's our experience: Viet Nam Cruise Tours

Ha Long Cruise
We went on a 3 day/2 night cruise of Ha Long Bay,with Heritage Cruise. The itinerary was pretty similar to those advertised by most companies, which you can see on their websites, so I'll just focus on points that you can't read there,Viet Nam Tours.


Ha Long Cruise
In the afternoon of the first day we visited the 'Surprise Cave', and had a quick tour. We weren't especially impressed at this point. The cave itself is large and effectively lit, but most of the ceiling has been concreted over for safety, which rather ruins the effect. After the cave we went back to the boat, and then did some kayaking for an hour or so. We would have liked longer so that we could have actually explored a bit more. That said, we did get to experience one of the most stunning sunsets I've ever seen. The memory of seeing that while out on the water will stay with me for a very long time!


Ha Long Cruise
The second day started with breakfast (a rather basic affair) and we then sailed to Cat Ba island, where my boyfriend and I were to be dropped off, while the others returned to the mainland. So we spent the morning relaxing, chatting, reading etc, whilst enjoying the truly stunning scenery; an extremely pleasurable experience.Viet Nam Travel

Ha Long Cruise
In Cat Ba National Park, we went hiking. While the hike is short (only about 45 minutes to the top, and about 30 minutes down) it is a proper hike, bordering on climbing at a few points. As such, we really enjoyed it, but a number of people struggled due to their poor foot wear (apparently reading the words "hiking" or "trekking" in their itineraries didn't suggest to them that flip-flop sandals may not be the ideal choice!) So, a word of caution: While you don't need professional hiking shoes, you should at least wear some decent trainers. Also, the top of the climb is a very small space, so it gets rather crowded up there! We would have liked a longer hike, but from what we could see of other groups, pretty much all companies follow the same kind of schedule there. North Vietnam Tours


Ha Long Cruise
After waiting for everyone to finish the descent, we got back on the bus and drove to Cat Ba town, where we had lunch at a hotel. We then had about 2 hours of 'free time' where we left to our devices. As has been commented by numerous people and guide books, Cat Ba town isn't up to much. Its purpose is simply to provide hotels for tourists (we're glad we didn't opt to stay on the island overnight!) We found a cafe and played chess, which suited us just fine, we're perfectly happy to relax for a couple of hours with some coffee, but if you prefer more 'activities' that may not be ideal for you.

Ha Long Cruise
So, pros and cons. We paid $135 per person, for the 2 nights. This included all meals, transfers etc, but not drinks. We felt the price was very reasonable, especially considering that other companies can charge up to $350 for very similar itineraries. However, it is an 'economy class' trip. The boat and cabins are not as spacious as they appear in the brochure, but we honestly didn't expect them to be. The purpose of a brochure or website is to sell, so of course they use very shiny photos! The food was not gourmet, but tasty enough. We certainly didn't feel disappointed, and the portions were generous. My only real complaint at meal times was that fruit juice wasn't on offer. I don't like beer, wine, or soda, so I was left with water.

Ha Long Cruise
Our guide (Bang) wasn't that great. He rushed us through the cave visit, and seemed annoyed that most of the guests didn't want to sing karaoke in the evening. On the second and third days he started to semi-ignore us, and didn't seem interested in interacting with us much. We're fairly independent, so we're happy to be left to our devices to a large extent, however if you prefer a more hands-on guide style, you wouldn't have liked him. But to be fair, the tour was still well organised. (We didn't experience anything like the horror stories mentioned in other reviews - no lies about returning to the boat, and we didn't hit any dogs!) Viet Nam Beach Vantion


Ha Long Cruise
The major problem we had was cleanliness of the bathrooms. On both boats, the bathrooms were not that clean, and on the second boat, the bathroom even had mushrooms growing in the corner! However, when we brought this to the attention of the boat crew, it was very swiftly dealt with.

Ha Long Cruise
We did have one cockroach in our room on the second night. Not great, but you do have to remember what part of the world you're in! And you're on a boat, not in a hotel, so keeping 100% of pests out would be nearly impossible. We didn't see or hear any rats though.

Ha Long Cruise
So, should you chose Heritage? If you're on a budget, yes. From what I've read and heard, I would strongly advise against going any cheaper! The issues we did have did not enormously impact our experience of Ha Long Bay. We still thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Ha Long Bay
is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to, and if you have the chance, you should definitely go.

Ha Long Cruise
Would a more expensive company be better? Probably. I expect on the more expensive cruises you get cleaner cabins, and more impressive food, and probably better service. However, I don't think the itineraries could be that different. The distance from Hanoi, and the speed of the boats, do impose limits on what you can do in a given time. Also, having seen many of the other boats in the bay, I don't think the cabins can be that much bigger. So I would also advise against going for one of the super-expensive tours. You'll be paying more than twice the price, but I don't think you'll get twice the experience. Your cabin won't be twice the size, you won't visit twice the places. So, if you can afford it, going up to $200 or so may be worth it, but beyond that, probably not. Viet Nam Complete Tours
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